A vehicle exploded Wednesday on the U.S. side of a bridge at the Canadian border in Niagara Falls, New York, leaving two people dead and prompting the closings of four border crossings because of concerns about an attempted terrorist attack.
The FBI said it is investigating the fiery blast at the Rainbow Bridge, and the agency’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is monitoring all points of entry to the state. By late afternoon, however, officials on both sides of the border were downplaying the possibility of terrorism.
“Based on what we know at this moment,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said shortly after 5 p.m., “there is no sign of terrorist activity in this crash.”
Mayor Jim Diodati of Niagara Falls, Ontario, told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. that the crash on one of the busiest travel days of the year seemed to be “an isolated incident.”
Erie Country Sheriff John Garcia added that “we can go on with our lives.”
The vehicle at the border checkpoint exploded before noon. The two people inside, whom The Associated Press reported were a husband and wife who lived in western New York, were pronounced dead at the scene. AP did not identify the couple.
A border officer also was injured.
Photos and video taken by bystanders at the Rainbow Bridge and posted on social media showed thick smoke, flames on the pavement and a security booth singed by flames.
Videos showed that the fire was in a U.S. Customs and Border Protection area just east of the main vehicle checkpoint.
Speaking to WGRZ-TV, Mike Guenther said he saw a vehicle speeding toward the crossing from the U.S. side of the border when it swerved to avoid another car, crashed into a fence and exploded.
“All of a sudden, he went up in the air and then it was a ball of fire like 30 or 40 feet high,” Mr. Guenther told the station. “I never saw anything like it.”
From inside Niagara Falls State Park, Melissa Raffalow said she saw “a huge plume of black smoke” rise over the border crossing, roughly 50 yards away from the popular tourist destination.
“We didn’t hear the explosion because the falls were too loud,” Ms. Raffalow told The Associated Press. Police arrived soon afterward and urged visitors to disperse as they cordoned off the street.
Some news outlets reported that the explosion was an attempted terrorist attack, but the incident appeared to be a bad car accident as more information was released.
Law enforcement officials apparently had determined the dead couple’s identity by evening because Matthew Miraglia, the FBI special agent in charge in Buffalo, said investigators had found no “derogatory” information on the driver.
“We’re scanning his social media. There’s nothing there,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, New York Democrat, told reporters Wednesday night that, based on his conversations with the FBI and the White House, not only was there “no connection to any terrorist or criminal group” but that investigators also couldn’t find chemical-trace evidence of bombs or explosive materials.
President Biden, who is spending Thanksgiving weekend on the exclusive Massachusetts resort island of Nantucket, was briefed on the explosion. The White House said Mr. Biden and his team were “closely following developments.”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said officials were “taking this extraordinarily seriously.”
“This is obviously a very serious situation in Niagara Falls,” Mr. Trudeau said in Parliament before he excused himself from Question Period in the House of Commons for further briefing.
Ms. Hochul said she had been briefed and “at my direction, the New York State Police is actively working with the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force to monitor all points of entry to New York.”
Three other bridges between western New York and Ontario were quickly closed as a precaution. The Buffalo Niagara International Airport began security checks on all cars and told passengers to expect additional screenings. The Federal Aviation Administration closed the airport to all international flights.
About 6,000 vehicles cross the Rainbow Bridge each day, according to the Federal Highway Administration’s National Bridge Inventory. About 5% is truck traffic, according to the federal data.
Rep. Mark Green, chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said the incident was a reminder of “the threats to the men and women of CBP, not to mention all law enforcement personnel.”
“My staff and I are being briefed and are regularly monitoring the ongoing security risks on the ground, specifically any greater threats to our northern border,” the Tennessee Republican said. “We will continue to gather information about this incident and utilize the full authority of this committee to get to the bottom of what has taken place.”
Some Republican lawmakers, citing the reports of an attempted terrorist attack, criticized the Biden administration.
“Instead of hunting down Jan 6th protesters or concerned parents attending school board meetings, perhaps it’s time for this President to confront the real threat of terrorism crossing both our southern and northern borders,” Rep. Wesley Hunt, Texas Republican, posted on social media.
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray testified to Congress last week that federal law enforcement was monitoring a variety of potential terrorist threats because of the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas. He said the terrorist threat against the U.S. reached “a whole other level” after Hamas’ sneak attack on Israel and that big players in terrorism have renewed calls to attack America and its interests.
• Stephen Dinan contributed to this article, which is based in part on wire service reports.
• Dave Boyer can be reached at dboyer@washingtontimes.com.
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